Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 18th December 2011

Edinburgh University’s representation in the Kinross Hogmanay Pairs came to a disappointing climax as David Jenkins and Alistair Wallace were comprehensively beaten by David Clydesdale and Dougie Rodgers.

Clydesdale and Rodgers started strongly, lying three after half the first end’s stones had been played.  Wallace tried for a double takeout, but was only able to remove one, which Clydesdale duly replaced.  The pair traded hit-and-sticks, before Wallace attempted another double, removing one shot and rolling to the four-foot.  Clydesdale removed the Edinburgh counter, but his shooter rolled clear of the house.  Wallace played for a hit on the shot rock, but was well wide and sailed through the house, giving Clydesdale an open draw to the house for his three.

The students came out fighting in the next end, playing some highly aggressive curling, but still found themselves facing three.  A nice freeze by Wallace on Clydesdale’s stone in the back of the four-foot encouraged his counterpart to throw a big weight, jamming on the frozen stones to lie one.  A series of shots from both sides failed to get through to the house, wrecking on the mass of guards, with thirteen stones in play as Wallace stepped up for his last shot.  Those wrecked shots left Clydesdale lying three, leaving the Edinburgh skip with only a big-weight hit through a tight port to play. Wallace almost found the port, but narrowly caught the far side of one of the stones, his shooter ricocheting into the second shot to limit Clydesdale to just a single point.

A disastrous third end wrecked any hopes of a comeback for Edinburgh University, though.  Both Jenkins and Wallace played a patient drawing game, but their opposition had other ideas, striking with great aplomb and holding their shooters consistently in the twelve foot.  Wallace, with his penultimate throw, drew in to lie second shot, but Clydesdale had no problems nosing that stone to lie five.  Wallace’s final draw, despite some frantic, albeit belated, sweeping, came up well short.

Even with the game over as a serious contest, the students continued, determined to avoid a whitewash.  A good hit and roll by Jenkins saw Edinburgh lying shot and, with Rodgers peeling a guard instead of the shot stone, he threw another into the four-foot to split the house.  Clydesdale attempted the double, but took only one, his shooter subsequently removed by Wallace with a nice roll over.  Clydesdale, accustomed to throwing big weights after the last end, couldn’t temper his power, and was unable to hold his shooter with any of his hits, Wallace continually drawing in a second shot in response.  A final big weight takeout from Clydesdale drifted wide, gifting Edinburgh an open draw for three, but Wallace’s shot was too light.

Having played such good curling together over the course of the weekend, the Edinburgh pair will have been disappointed to have capitulated so easily here.  Their opponents’ strong defensive play would have been difficult for anyone to break down, though, and both players can feel quite content with a quarter-final place, given their lack of familiarity before this competition commenced.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 18th December 2011

The prospect of both Edinburgh University teams reaching the latter stages of the Kinross Hogmanay Pairs seemed unlikely at its outset, so a match between the two for a place in the quarter finals was a welcome surprise for all concerned.  Alistair Wallace was one of the people who first taught Michael Nicholson and Ted Edmunds to curl- could the apprentices surpass the master, or would Wallace and his partner, David Jenkins, prevail?

With Wallace and Jenkins favourites from the outset, losing four with the hammer in the first end was an unwelcome start for Edmunds and Nicholson.  A nice angled raise to the button from Edmunds was the highlight for that team, but their opponents removed that stone to lie four.  An exchange of hits left Edmunds lying shot, before a Wallace hit restored the advantage.  Faced with the same shot, Edmunds couldn’t get the weight right and fell short, ceding a big end.

An aggressive second end followed, with both teams throwing up a number of guards.  Wallace penetrated the barrier, drawing the well-guarded button to lie shot, with only one opposition counter preventing him lying five.  Edmunds’ hit on the shot stone sailed just wide, but Wallace removed that stone himself, somewhat fortunately rolling his shooter just outside the four-foot.  Edmunds hit the mark this time, sticking around to take a single point.

Horrible ice conditions encouraged a striking game in the third, though Jenkins built up a wall of guards just in front of the twelve-foot.  A nice angled raise from Wallace handed him the advantage, which he built on with another two stones in the house.  Edmunds removed one of those but left the shooter exposed on the edge of the eight-foot to allow a hit for three, which Wallace successfully completed.

Edmunds secured a second point in the fourth and final end, hitting against three to remove Wallace’s shot stone, using the second shot as a bumper for the shooter.

Wallace and Jenkins progressed to the quarter finals, while Nicholson and Edmunds were eliminated.  Progressing this far, though, was well beyond expectations for the duo in their first ever outing in the Pairs format and there can be some optimism of future success.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 18th December 2011

Michael Nicholson and Ted Edmunds were somewhat fortunate to emerge victorious from this tense struggle, as a low-scoring draw saw the Edinburgh pair advancing only after a draw shot challenge.

In the first, Thomson flooded the house without much reply, lying three before Nicholson drew the four-foot to take the advantage.  A beautiful draw in behind the Edinburgh stone left the Kinross women lying again, and Edmunds was unable to get close, wrecking on his own guard as his partner failed to watch the shot’s line.  Barr was unable to add a second, though, allowing Edmunds a risky hit to take a single; however, his shot started to drift wide and was well swept to prevent it hitting the Edinburgh second shot and giving up four.

The Edinburgh pair came back fighting in the second, dominating the early exchanges to lie first, third and fourth, before a nice freeze from Barr saw her team sitting shot  in the back of the four-foot.  Edmunds wrecked on a guard, clearing out the middle of the sheet and allowing Barr to draw another to the front of the four-foot.  Edmunds atoned with a top-quality shot, sneaking his last stone onto the button between the opposition stones to take his single.

The exchange of singles continued in the next end, largely thanks to the continuation of the drawing game from both teams.  The ladies found themselves lying shot, but with three Edinburgh stone lying next.  A nice takeout upped their advantage to two, before a beautiful shot by Edmunds saw him remove the two opposition counters in the four foot.  Barr drew the four-foot again to lie one, and a missed Edmunds strike looked to have gifted her pair the two, but the final draw came up well short.

Despite having the hammer, Edinburgh were on the back-foot for much of the fourth end.  A great draw to the button behind good cover was followed down by Thomson (thanks to a fortuitously big swing) to nudge it back, the shooter remaining on the pot-lid.  With a flooded house, and a number of guards just in front, Edmunds had few options come the hammer.  With the bell having gone, a make-or-break shot was called- a difficult wick in off an opposition stone on the edge of the eight-foot.  The shot was played to perfection, catching the rock precisely to roll into the stone on the button and nudge it back slightly.  Without enough room for a measure Barr and Thomson agreed that Edmunds’ shot was just closer, forcing a draw shot challenge for the game.

The Edinburgh team took the match, and qualification for the next stage, when Barr’s draw came up well short of the house.  Edmunds, needing only to bite the painted area, found the eight-foot to set up a derby fixture against David Jenkins and Alistair Wallace, also of the Edinburgh University club, in the first knockout stage.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 18th December 2011

Generations collided in this final B-road game as two former club Presidents faced off against one another.  Julia Cormack (nee Halliday, President 1990 – 1991) teamed with her young son Ben against current Secretary David Jenkins and Alistair Wallace (President 2007 – 2008) with progression into the latter stages of the Kinross Hogmanay Pairs at stake.

Jenkins’ draw to the back of the eight foot with his first stone proved to be key to the opening end.   The younger Cormack’s reply was a draw to the front twelve-foot, guarding the Edinburgh shot.  Another Cormack stone followed later, nudging his own shot and leaving two in the front twelve, burying Jenkins’ stone.  Still lying shot, Wallace flooded the path to the button with guards, rendering any attempt on the Edinburgh stone nigh-on impossible.  The elder Cormack, though, demonstrated the skill that earned her a club Blue, playing a beautiful angled raise on her own stone in the twelve-foot into the Edinburgh shot stone to take an unlikely three.

This would be the last points for the Cormacks, though, as the Edinburgh University pair took control of the game.  A nice tap from Jenkins left the students sitting two, before Cormack wrecked on a guard to push another Edinburgh counter into the eight-foot.  Another mistake pushed a fourth Edinburgh stone into the house, before Cormack senior hit one out.  Wallace overthrew his draw for four, but still took three.

A steal of one followed in the third, though it could have been more for the students.  With Edinburgh sitting with a very well-protected three, Cormack cleared out the guards and then hit the second-lying shot on the nose.  So it would remain until the end’s completion, when Cormack proved unable to raise her own guard into the Edinburgh stone.  A further steal in the fourth confirmed the result when, with the Cormacks lying three, Wallace used his last stone to promote his own guard to the button;  Cormack’s hit attempt wrecked on her own stone in the front of the twelve-foot.

While the Cormacks dropped into the C-road, Jenkins and Wallace advanced to the knockout stages of the competition, with the other Edinburgh University team potential opponents.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

Michael Nicholson and Ted Edmunds pulled off something of an upset in this tense affair, thanks to one high-scoring end in a tactical battle of wits.

With Thomson lying four in the first, Nicholson narrowly missed a double takeout.  A nice draw into the four foot added to Thomson’s advantage, until Edmunds removed it.  Thomson missed a back-weight takeout, allowing Edmunds a nice hit and roll to lie two.  Thomson removed one, leaving a hit for two, though Edmunds’ shot was just too heavy, staying wide.

A lovely guard from Nicholson was joined by several others from each side, preventing a drawing game and instead forcing a number of raises.  Thomson was the first to try, nicely tapping one of his own stones into the twelve-foot, with Edmunds following suit immediately.  Edmunds tried two more tap-ups, while Thomson continued to guard, but none neither of his shots were able to beat the single Thomson counter.

Sensing Thomson’s reluctance to draw, Nicholson and Edmunds adopted a very aggressive style.  Trading guards to begin with, Macfarlane drew the button with his second shot.  Nicholson ticked his guard over, and then did so again after Macfarlane replaced that guard with another.  A nice chap and lie from Nicholson on Macfarlane’s shot stone was followed by an identical shot from Thomson.  Edmunds removed Thomson’s counter and rolled in behind cover.  Thomson made the first mistake of the end, accidentally tapping an Edinburgh stone from the guard zone into the twelve-foot, which was soon joined by another promotion of Edmunds’ design,  Thomson was unable to find a path through with his last and left Edmunds a tricky draw for four with his last.  Originally called on the out-turn, Nicholson changed the handle with Edmunds in the hack.  As Edmunds reset himself for the shot, the bell went to signal that this would be the last shot of the game.  Nonetheless, Edmunds played the shot as though the match depended on it and played a perfect draw to the tee line to take four.

The manner of the game’s ending, with the last-second change in shot resulting in the bell going before rather than after the shot, thereby precluding another end, was unfortunate; however, a deficit of four points would have been difficult for Thomson and Macfarlane to overcome.

What this game lacked in pace, it made up for in quality.  Nicholson and Edmunds were good value for their win; the shot-making and tactical nous of both teams was spot on, and they served up an enthralling tactical encounter.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

Alistair Wallace and David Jenkins survived a late comeback from Stuart Brand and Gregor Bousie to progress to the second day of the Kinross Hogmanay Pairs and the final B-road stage.

The Edinburgh University pair was fortunate to take one with the hammer in the first end.  Wallace’s double takeout attempt with his third stone took just one of the two Brand stones lying shot in the front twelve-foot.  Brand threw another up, this time deep into the back of the twelve-foot.  Unable to take both out, Wallace opted for a hit on the front stone, his shooter rolling but just holding on to beat Brand’s other.

Some poor play from Brand in the second gifted the students an easy steal of two.  Sitting one after four shots apiece, Wallace split the house, only to see his stone removed.  Wallace’s next shot was too light, offering Brand a chance to remove the other Edinburgh rock; instead he removed his own, but stuck to lie shot.  The two players traded ineffective shots, before Wallace nudged one of his own stones and split to lie two.  Brand came up well short with his takeout, yielding the double.

Brand made better use of the hammer in the third, after some somewhat uninspired play from both teams.  Bousie’s first shot was a draw behind Jenkins’ centre guard, and paved the way for a succession of takeouts.  Brand’s penultimate shot was the first to miss, grazing Wallace’s stone but failing to remove it.  Rather than splitting the house, Wallace elected to guard his position, allowing his counterpart to draw the four-foot for his single.

Brand looked to have the advantage in the fourth end, as he flooded the houses with stones.  Wallace, with his third, attempted to peel the opposition guards but succeeded only in tapping an opposition stone in for Brand to sit two.  Brand drew a further shot into the four foot to sit three and, with the bell having gone, seemed to have taken the match.  Wallace, though played a draw which, though it swung wide, succeeded in limiting his opponents to just the one point and thereby did just enough to ensure progression.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

There are few times when teams from Edinburgh University Curling Club find themselves to be significantly older than their opposition.  Such was the situation facing Ted Edmunds and Michael Nicholson in this make-or-break match, with defeat for either team resulting in elimination from the competition.  Spain and Cormack (son of former club President, Julia Halliday), both secondary schoolchildren, came highly rated around the rink but the Edinburgh pair’s greater age and experience marked them with the equally unfamiliar tag of favourites.

A cagey first end saw a number of long guards thrown up by each side with just the one stone in the house, an Edinburgh counter in the top of the twelve-foot. A series of attempted draws fell short of the house, before a takeout by Spain only nudged the Edinburgh rock into the eight-foot.  Edmunds could not get through the wall of guards to add a second, taking just the single instead.

Edmunds took a further single in the second following another tight end.  A nice controlled draw-weight hit round a guard from Nicholson left his team lying two, both in the four-foot, with one of those well-guarded.  Things stayed like that until Spain’s last, when she threw a beautiful barrier weight takeout that removed one of the counters and very nearly both, before rolling out.

The youngsters pulled one back in a similar third end, with six long guards rendering aggressive play somewhat difficult.  Cormack snuck a stone into the back of the house which remained there, alone, until the completion of the end, with neither Spain nor Edmunds able to get near the house.

Another single followed in the fourth after a perfunctory hitting game gave way to a split house following a miss from Cormack and a nice draw by Nicholson.  A further miss heaped pressure on Spain as Edmunds drew in a third, but the cool-headed young skip drew in for the single.  Somewhat impatient to get away, Spain tried to begin a Draw Shot Challenge, before Nicholson pointed out that the bell had yet to go (and would not for another ten minutes).

The resultant final end was dominated completely by the Edinburgh duo, taking advantage of the hammer to play a defensive game with a mind towards a simple draw for one.  An error from Spain allowed the house to be split before the hitting continued, eventually giving Edmunds a two, and the win.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

Back in 1988, whilst a member of the Edinburgh University Curling Club, Iain Cormack won a Half-Blue.  That same year both his opponents in this match, Ted Edmunds and Michael Nicholson, were born, therefore to say he had a lifetime’s experience more than each would be no exaggeration.  Together with Paul Baughan, Cormack was looking to defeat a second Edinburgh University team in one day, having dispatched David Jenkins and Alistair Wallace with ease earlier on.  For Edmunds and Nicholson, this would be the real start to their Hogmanay Pairs challenge, their initial outing against the new Scottish Mixed Doubles Champions always likely to end in defeat.

Thoughts of a strong challenge here were quickly dashed though, as Cormack and Baughan took a triple in the first end, capitalising on the Edinburgh pair’s inability to find tee weight to split the house early and instigate a striking game.  A stronger second end saw the stones pile up in the house, though the veteran pair maintained an advantage with a well-guarded stone in the front four-foot.  A strike attempt by Edmunds was unlucky not to remove that stone, and Cormack threw up another guard to block the line through.  Edmunds attempted a controlled takeout through a tight port and was unlucky to wreck at the lost moment and concede a steal of one.

A striking game ensued in the third, after Edmunds accidentally swept an intended Edinburgh guard into the house.  Baughan was the first to miss with his last, allowing Nicholson to split the house with a draw to the front of the twelve-foot.  Cormack removed this stone immediately, rolling out, but Edmunds was unable to find the house with his next.  A Cormack miss allowed Edmunds another attempt at the four-foot, this time finding its mark, and a further opposition miss allowed him to put another rock in the back twelve-foot.  Cormack hit this back stone and lay as second shot, which Edmunds was unable to beat with his draw, taking just the one point instead.

Cormack wrapped up proceedings with another single in the fourth end when his second shot, a draw to the four-foot buried behind a mass of guards, could not be bested.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

Following David Jenkins’ struggle and Alistair Wallace’s impressive form in their first game, the duo decided to swap positions for their first B-road fixture against Kevin and Gordon Thomson.  That tactic proved to be a sound one, as they scored a 4 v 2 win after four ends to progress to the next round.

The Thomson cousins stole one in the first end as Wallace found himself unable to remove their well-guarded shot in the four-foot.  In the second, a guddle was established in the house with Edinburgh lying shot; however, Jenkins’ takeout attempt on a Thomson stone removed his own shot instead.  Thomson drew in, positioned directly on the pot-lid and covered by two Edinburgh rocks in the four-foot.  A later attempt to remove both these stones took only one, and sparked a hitting game, during which Wallace removed Thomson’s shot stones.  The opposition skip was first to blink, as his final takeout removed one of the Edinburgh four-foot stones, but rolled over to sit on the other.  Wallace successfully drew the four-foot to take two.

Another full house began to develop in the third end, before Jenkins cleared it out.  Thomson drew in, but couldn’t find the guarded line, and left an easy hit.  Jenkins nosed it, but Thomson’s own subsequent hit could not find the line for the roll behind cover, and the shooter instead rolled out.  Wallace and Thomson both struggled to find their weight, throwing a number of shots straight through the house, before Thomson managed to bite the back.  Wallace drew around the guard into the four-foot and, when Thomson hit wrecked on the guard, removing the cover, froze onto his own stone with his last.  Thomson, with few options, threw a peel weight takeout, removing the back Edinburgh stone and sending the other to the edge of the house.  The shooter stuck around to just take one point.

With parity restored, the Edinburgh duo pushed on.  After four stones each, Edinburgh lay shot, but with the opposition lying second and third.  Wallace removed the third stone and rolled out, and Thomson took out the Edinburgh guard.  A mistake from Wallace saw his draw fall short, but Thomson couldn’t capitalise, his own draw finding an impossible gap and sailing through the house.  Wallace threw up a guard in the 12 foot, which Thomson attempted to remove but instead took out his own.  Wallace, guaranteed two and the victory, barring accidents, attempted a draw for three but couldn’t find the weight.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

The second Edinburgh University entry in the Kinross Hogmanay Pairs went into this tournament without the same pressures of their counterparts.  While Alistair Wallace and David Jenkins were unfamiliar with one another and playing to qualify for the Scottish Pairs Championship, Michael Nicholson and Ted Edmunds were good friends and regular team-mates; they had also declared themselves to be playing only socially, with a view to later qualification as an Edinburgh representative.  This latter fact will have been all the more relieving upon sight of the fixture list, which drew the pair (each in only their fourth season curling, having first played at University) against Lee McCleary and Judith McFarlane, crowned Scottish Mixed Doubles Champions just six days previously.

Setting out simply to limit the damage, the students started brightly as an open and aggressive end saw them forcing McCleary to hit for the blank.  That proved the high-point, though, as the Kinross pair showed their quality.  Edmunds’ last shot in the second, a draw against four, was too light, gifting McCleary an easy draw for five.  Edmunds had not been aided by Nicholson, who failed to pull off any of the four shots called for him.

Nicholson continued to struggle in the third, allowing McFarlane in to lie two.  A nice hit and roll from Edmunds was followed by a four-foot draw from McCleary, which Edmunds couldn’t remove.  A double takeout with his third wrecked on his own stone, with both rolling out, while a triple (raising a McCleary guard onto his own two shot stones) with his last rock had a beautiful line but was far too light to have any impact.

Nicholson upped his game in the penultimate end, though not much, seeing one of his four shots coming off.  That shot was a hit and stick after McFarlane split the house, but his stone was soon removed, and another drawn in for the Scottish Champions to lie three.  Edmunds drew in to the four-foot to lie shot, but McCleary hit and stuck to up the pressure.  Edmunds, with his last, found himself facing seven but played a cool-headed shot under pressure, striking the shot McCleary stone and sticking to take a single point.

Nicholson and Edmunds opted to play on despite the large deficit, in order to gain more experience, but will have wished they had not.  Nicholson finally found his weight, but McFarlane’s drawing game was better, and she quickly split the house.   McCleary continued to raise the stakes, and was lying four by the time Edmunds played his last stone, a hit on the shot stone in the four foot, which saw the shooter roll away.  An easy draw for four put the nail in the coffin for the Edinburgh University team, and saw them drop into the B-road, while their opponents continued, as expected, in the A-road.

Michael Nicholson

Kinross Hogmanay Pairs
Kinross Curling Rink, 17th December 2011

A last minute entry to make up the numbers, Alistair Wallace and David Jenkins did not represent the archetypal pairs team- generally two good friends who have curled together for some time.  The pair was known to one another only from one season (2008 – 2009) when their paths crossed at the Edinburgh University Club, in Wallace’s Presidential year.  Wallace departed for an exchange year in Texas after that, and was not to be seen in club colours- not, in fact, to throw a stone in anger- until answering this call to arms.

Their first opponents in the triple knockout first stage were, conversely, very well known to one another, being mainstays of the Kinross circuit.

The students had a somewhat fortuitous first end, stealing a single without really deserving to.  After Jenkins blinked first in a striking battle, Cormack – awarded a Half Blue for curling at Edinburgh University some twenty years ago- was able to draw to the opposite side and split the house.  Another Jenkins miss saw a third opposition counter thrown in by Cormack.  Following a trade of hits-and-sticks, Cormack was faced with a half-stone hit for the three; however, the Edinburgh rock jammed on his own stone in the back twelve and the shooter rolled out, gifting Wallace and Jenkins a single.

That point proved to be their last, though, as their opponents- more familiar with the Kinross ice- stepped their game up a gear.  Another hitting game- this time with some nice attempts to roll behind cover- saw Cormack again lying three with only last stones to be played.  Jenkins was able to remove the shot stone but rolled away to leave an open draw to the eight-foot for three.  Luck favoured Cormack this time, as his slightly heavy draw was adjudged – after a measure- to just beat the lone Edinburgh stone in the house.

Into the third and with Edinburgh sitting shot behind cover, Cormack played a cracking stone, driving the Edinburgh guard onto one of his own and into the scoring shot.   A couple of poor shots from Jenkins left him with a draw against four, with only part of the button open for the shot.  Another poor rock went well wide of its target, but was enough to cut the Kinross pair down to one point.  Another point was yielded in the fourth and final end when Jenkins, again facing three, played a very nice double but couldn’t remove the last counter.

A loss was no surprise here for the unfamiliar duo of Jenkins and Wallace; what was surprising was the difference in quality from the pair.  Wallace looked much the more comfortable player despite his long absence from the game.  Jenkins did show glimpses of his undoubted ability, though, giving rise to some optimism for their next two matches. 

Michael Nicholson